A blog about life experience, language, music & art

Woman Homeless – A surviver : Shirley’s story

Article by George Orlney

“I first came to England out 10 years ago to learn English. I only meant to stay for eleven months, but I became a journalist for a Brazilian newspaper from 2010-2014, and I was also singing, and teaching children on Saturday mornings. I loved London. Even the weather.

I never expected to be homeless. I was living a normal life. I was so happy with working at the newspaper, singing and teaching. I was also starting a full-time business studies course and serving at my church. But suddenly, I had a difficult situation with my family and my church which is hard to explain, and afterwards I became very depressed and lost touch with people. I had nowhere to go. I lost the desire to live, to work, to study. I went to the doctor who put me in touch with social services. They found place in a hostel for women only, but there were so many people with such serious problems. I couldn’t believe I was there. In the same year, March 2016 my father died in Brazil and I never got the opportunity to speak to him beforehand.